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How to Use Coconut Oil to Remove Makeup

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Whether you have your finger on the pulse of the beauty industry or not, chances are you’ve also noticed that coconut oil has made quite the name for itself in the skin care world. In fact, the FDA revealed that in 2007 coconut oil had more than 600 cosmetic uses. Since we can’t exactly teach you all 600 uses right here and now, we’re focusing on one of coconut oil’s most popular purposes—removing makeup. That’s right, if fancy cleansers and eye makeup removers aren’t right at your fingertips, you can head into the kitchen for a jar of coconut oil instead. Coconut oil is able to work so well as a makeup remover thanks to its surfactant properties. The International Journal of Toxicology confirms, coconut oil can serve as both a cleanser and foaming agent. To turn coconut oil into your new favorite makeup remover, follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Start with the Right Consistency

Observe coconut oil in summer and then again in winter, and you’re likely to notice the consistency is completely different. That’s because when kept at room temperature—or colder—coconut oil remains a solid. However, with just a little bit of warmth, coconut oil quickly becomes a liquid. To use coconut oil as a makeup remover, it should be in its liquid form. If yours is solid, pick up a small amount—about the size of a pea—and rub it between your fingers to melt it.

Step 2: Massage Coconut Oil onto Dry Skin

Once your fingers are coated in oil, close your eyes and spread the oil over your lids. Rub the oil in to remove eyeshadow and eyebrow makeup, then gently work the oil into your eyelashes to break down mascara (yes, even waterproof). Continue massaging the oil into your skin wherever you’re wearing makeup, going over the rest of your face, plus your lips.

Editor’s tip: If you’d prefer to keep your fingers out of this equation to minimize mess, you can use a cotton pad dipped in the oil to remove your makeup instead of your fingers.

Step 3: Wipe Everything Away with a Wet Cloth

After thoroughly covering your skin in coconut oil and rubbing it in, your face may be looking slightly scary. To remove the mixture of oil and makeup, wet a wash cloth or microfiber cloth with lukewarm water and use it to wipe everything off.

Step 4: Rinse Off—Or—Follow with Face Wash

For your final step, you have more than one option. You can either rinse off any remaining residue and call it a day or follow with a face wash. If you’d rather end the cleansing portion of your regimen right now, simply rinse off thoroughly with lukewarm water.

The other possible course of action is to treat coconut oil as the first part of a double cleansing method. Following this method, the coconut oil is supposed to completely remove your makeup, while the next step—using a facial cleanser—is meant to actually cleanse your skin and lift away remaining dirt and debris. If you don’t feel entirely clean after using coconut oil, especially if your skin is acne-prone, you may be well-suited to double cleansing. In that case, use a water-based cleanser to remove lingering coconut oil and anything else sitting on the surface of your skin.